Better show up on the first page or go home

As I finally get through all of my old email, I found this study on eMarketer in May that basically demonstrates that you better be on the first page of search results or you will probably not be seen. It seems that the number of people that get past the first few pages of search results is less and less since 2002. While this may mean that search engines are able to provide more and more relevant data in teh first few pages or that users don't have the patience to keep searching, it probably means the following:

1. Google AdWords sponsored this study
2. SEO firms sponsored this study
3. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored this study.
4. Americans are becoming lazier and lazier
5. George Bush is using Google
6. Less and less people know how to click "next" to get more search results
7. There are no search results after 3 pages becuase of parental screening software.
8. The internet is collapsing into a black hole
9. Everybody is over at YouTube and they don't really care about the major search engines anymore
10. Britney Spears is no longer popular.
    

Pick your choice! Bottom line is that you better get that SEO hat out and ensure that you are high in the search rankings for your industry. Good luck!

Chad H.

Technorati tags: SEO, PPC, Search